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Event Info

Vector Space has sent 3 teams to TARC nationals. Be a part of the 2022 team!

Event Start Date: Wednesday, Jan 12, 2022 | 7:00 pm

Overview

Two teams of five high school students will compete in the Team America Rocketry Challenge as they design, build, and fly a rocket carrying common chicken eggs in a capsule to an altitude of 835 feet and return it to ground with the eggs intact within 41-43 seconds.

The TARC competition is a wonderful opportunity for those interested in aerospace, engineering, or simply having a good time while learning a little more about the world.

These rockets are built and launched entirely by the students, so prepare to be engaged.

Schedule

Registration opens November 15 and closes January 12th.

This is a 40 hour project that takes place over 8 weeks, meeting twice a week, from January 12th to March 6th.

Teams will spend eight weeks designing, testing, and flying our rockets. Each team will launch at least 15 flights, three of which will serve as their qualifying flights for the TARC contest.

The teams meet twice a week:

Wednesdays: 7 - 9:00pm
Sundays: 1 - 4:00pm

Once the rocket is built, students will travel to Sweet Briar College on Sundays during class to launch.

If qualifying scores are high enough, teams will be invited to the finals in northern Virginia in May. If this happens, the team will continue meeting on it's regularly scheduled days of the week beyond the original project end date. Before registering, please make sure that you can commit to this possibility. You can expect about 4 additional weeks of work, plus traveling to the finals in Manassas, Virginia on May 14.

Curriculum

If we're going to build a rocket, there are a few things we'll need to learn. We usually spend the first 20-30 minutes of our meetings covering these topics before we get our hands dirty.

Aerodynamics: thrust, drag, impulse
Motors: fuel, combustion
Ignition and Ignition systems
Predictions: Using OpenRocket software to predict flight paths
Recovery: parachutes and other unconventional methods

The rockets we launch must be made by students, not from a kit. As a team we will determine the best methods for building a successful rocket, then use the resources available at the makerspace to bring it to life. Whether it's 3D printing nose cones, laser cutting fins, sewing parachutes, or turning transition sections, it'll be an experience you won't forget.

Eligibility

Participants must be currently enrolled in grades 9-12 (homeschool included) to compete.

Scholarships are available on the Scholarship Tab for those seeking financial assistance.

Like any team sport, attendance is important and we ask that all participants not miss more than one class throughout the project.

COVID-19 Policy

Masks are required for those unable to provide proof of vaccination.

Vector Space instructors are fully vaccinated.

Instructors

Mark Miller

Mark has been interested in rocketry ever since he watched Neil Armstrong walk on the moon July 20, 1969. He enjoyed flying model rockets when he was a child on into his teenage years and then got back into the hobby in his late twenties. He's a member of both national organizations; the Tripoli Rocketry Association (TRA) and National Association of Rocketry (NAR). He flies with Valley Aerospace Team (VAST) out of Staunton and works with the members helping educational organizations apply STEM principles through rocketry. He has enjoyed all parts of the hobby for over 25 years, from flying his own high power rockets, to teaching and mentoring students just getting started in rocketry. His enthusiasm for the hobby is contagious.

Zach Taliaferro

Zach's passion for STEM education began with a Lego engineering class that he taught as a middle and high school student. Since studying science and engineering at Virginia Tech (Go Hokies!), he has worked as an educator teaching math, computer science, and STEM concepts at the secondary level. He currently teaches at Monelison Middle School, where he is also co-coach for their Lego robotics team. Zach is excited to continue sharing his knowledge with students as an instructor for Vector Space's TARC program.

Participants

These are the makers who are going to bring this project to life! There are 0 open spots remaining.

- COLBY

- Devon

- Elliott

- Lance

- Mason

- Matthew

- Rezin

- Sam

- Santiago (Iago)

- Scott

- Sofia

Application

Applications for this project are open through January 19, 2022.

We are happy to offer needs-based scholarships for families that cannot afford the class registration fee. This scholarship is not merit-based, but reserved only for those in need of financial assistance. Scholarships will cover the entire registration cost of the program, and are made possible by the generosity of Vector Space supporters. In order to qualify, your household income must fall within the Very Low or Extremely Low income brackets as defined by the department of Housing and Urban Development.

Announcement of scholarship awards is made after registration closes.

Project Name *

Name of the project you are applying for.

Applicant

First Name *

Last Name *

Gender *

Birth Date *

Month

Day

Year

Phone Number

Annual Household Income

Number of people in household

School *

What school do you attend?

Grade *

What grade are you currently enrolled in?

Interests *

Tell us why you're interested in participating in this project.

Goals *

What are your educational/academic goals?

Hobbies *

Tell us about some of your hobbies.

Commitment *

Can you commit to attending all scheduled meetings?

Yes

Recommendation

Please attach a letter of recommendation from a teacher or community leader. If they would like to keep the recommendation confidential, they can email it directly to, info [at] vector-space.org
Files must be less than 2 MB.
Allowed file types: txt rtf html pdf doc docx odt ppt pptx odp xls xlsx ods xml.

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